


Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story

by Rachel Wilder (rwilder), shelbecat



Series: Reunion [3]
Category: Friday Night Lights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-13
Updated: 2008-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-16 12:26:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3488243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rwilder/pseuds/Rachel%20Wilder, https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelbecat/pseuds/shelbecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the first Christmas after the <i>Reunion</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Title** : Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story - Part 1  
**Authors** : [](http://shelbecat.livejournal.com/profile)[**shelbecat**](http://shelbecat.livejournal.com/) and [](http://rachel-wilder.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://rachel-wilder.livejournal.com/)**rachel_wilder**  
**Rating** : T (aka PG-13)  
**Summary** : It's the first Chritmas after the _Reunion_.

**Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story  
Part 1  
**

 

 

Tim listened to the last sputters of the coffeemaker as the pot filled with steaming liquid. He reached for the handle and poured himself a welcome cup of coffee. It was early, before dawn, and he was the only one up in the quiet house. He'd driven up to Nashville the day before, arriving well after midnight. Tyra had been awake waiting for him, but he hadn't seen Jake yet, unless you counted the 10 minutes he'd spent in his son's room last night, watching over the sleeping boy.

It was 3 days until Christmas, and it was the first Christmas Tim would spend with Jake.

His truck was loaded down with gifts—too many if you asked Tyra, but he didn't care. Even Billy had commented that Jake was getting more gifts than he got, but once Tim took Billy to Best Buy to pick out a new Game Boy, he was happy enough. It was more a bribe than a gift since Tim had used it to get Billy to agree to come to Nashville with him, but the games had kept him pacified through most of the drive, and now he was sleeping soundly in the guest bedroom.

Tim took a sip of his coffee and looked out the kitchen window into the back yard. It was cold—not cold enough for snow, but Tyra had told Tim all about how Jake had been praying each night to wake up to a snowstorm. Tim smiled at that and shifted his weight off his bad leg. The cold didn't help with the arthritis that had set into his joints. He saw the way Tyra looked at him when he limped into the house last night, but he ignored the concerned look in her eyes. The last time he'd come to visit, she'd asked him to see a specialist about surgery and he'd told her he would, just not now. Not until they knew where he was going to live and where Billy was going to live and if it was going to work out at all with him, Jake and Tyra together as a family.

He wanted it to work. He wanted it to work more than he'd wanted anything in a long time.

Tim jumped as Tyra's warm arm curled around his midsection and she pressed her body to his back.

"It's cold," she mumbled into his shirt. "Why are you awake?"

"Couldn't sleep," he replied.

Tyra yawned and hugged her arms tighter around him. "Is there more coffee?"

Tim leaned towards the cupboard, Tyra's smaller body trailing behind him as he retrieved a second mug. He poured her a cup, and fixed it the way she liked it, black with three sugars. He smiled as she sighed heavily and released him to gather the mug in her hands.

"You are a Christmas angel," she said.

The smile on his face didn't reach his eyes, but Tyra didn't seem to notice. He knew she was just happy that he was here with her again, and especially before Christmas when Jake was hopped up on the anticipation of Santa Claus. But there was a knot of doubt in his stomach that this holiday would be stress-free.

It was his first Christmas as a father, and that terrified him.

* * *

  
Jason watched as the rest of the passengers filed off the plane. He'd always been the guy who was the first one to jump off the bus when they'd arrived at a game, but over the years waiting for a gate attendant to come help him off the plane had been just another of those things he'd had to get used to.

"Are you ready, Mr. Street?" the attendant asked as he pulled the aisle chair up alongside Jason's seat.

"Ready as ever," Jason replied. He lifted the handle on the seatbelt and released the belt. The attendant pulled him forward in the seat and then carefully slid him onto the narrow transport chair. It didn't have much support and required straps at the chest, waist and legs. It always shot him straight back to memories of rehab when he had required that wide belt to hold him upright in the chair.

"Did you have a bag?" the attendant asked Jason.

"Yeah, that black one there," Jason pointed toward his carry-on in the overhead bin across from his seat.

The attendant grabbed the bag and then began to push Jason off the plane. "Were you visiting New York or is that home?" he asked Jason.

"Just a visit," Jason replied. "I live in Austin now—just trying to get home in time to spend the holidays with my fiancée…our first Christmas since we decided to get married."

"Really," the man answered, not sounding entirely convinced.

Jason shook his head and sighed. He'd heard it before—shock that he, Jason Street—quadriplegic, was actually getting married. And what kind of a woman would marry him?

Jason shrugged. Well, they were definitely the ones who didn't get it, because Jason Street was one of the luckiest men alive.

The attendant pushed the chair across the threshold of the plane.

"That's my chair there, can we switch now?" Jason asked. He hated getting pushed out into the loading area still on the narrow chair.

"Sure thing," the attendant replied.

They quickly reversed the earlier process and Jason eased back into his chair. In many ways it was like being back in his body, it was such a natural part of him at this point.

He pushed himself up the jet way and out into the waiting area. As he came out the door he could see Lyla standing there.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as Lyla came across to kiss him. The fur on her collar was so soft against his face.

"I know people," she replied. She turned to the attendant and reached for Jason's bag. "I'm here to help with your luggage."

The attendant's eyes roved from the top of Lyla's head with her glistening dark hair, down her lean body to the fabulous Jimmy Choo boots she was wearing. His jaw fell slack as he handed over Jason's bag.

"Have a good night, Mr. Street," he finally replied.

Jason slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the five-dollar bill he'd put there earlier and passed it over to the worker. "And a Merry Christmas to you."

As they walked away, Lyla slapped Jason's shoulder lightly. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Jason Street."

"What, I have a hot fiancée—I think I should flaunt that shamelessly whenever I can!" Jason protested.

"Whatever," Lyla replied. "Let's get a cab and go home."

"Now you're talking," Jason responded.

* * *

Landry looked out the cab window at the familiar sights of Dillon rolling by. There was a chill in the air, almost like you could imagine it might snow, but that was unlikely. Which was something he would normally be thankful for, but his band had finished up the last leg of their tour last night in Seattle and the snow outside had done a lot to get him in the Christmas spirit.

He was having a harder time feeling like celebrating this year than ever before. Maybe it was the stress of the tour, or that he'd been having trouble writing any new material for their next album. If he tried hard enough, he could even blame it on worrying about Matt and Julie and Coach Taylor's recent battle with cancer.

But if he was being honest, there was only one reason for his melancholy. He was losing Tyra and Jake. And it was killing him.

He'd been trying hard since April, since the reunion, to come to terms with Tim Riggins being part of their life. It wasn't so much that he didn't want Tim around; he just didn't want any less of Tyra and Jake around, but that was bound to happen while they built a happy little family with Tim. All those years he'd spent with Tyra and Jake—he'd fooled himself into thinking they were his family. They did all the traditional things families did—right down to summer vacations and holidays together.

Holidays like Christmas. This was the first year since he'd met up with Tyra in Nashville when Jake was only 9 months old that he wouldn't be there to watch the child open his presents on Christmas morning. He wouldn't be there to play Santa the night before and gobble down the cookies and milk Jake had left out. And he wouldn't be there to spend a few quiet moments with Tyra late on Christmas Eve night after Jake had gone to bed and they could settle down to celebrate privately.

Things had never been romantic between them, and if Landry was being truthful, he'd known he was gay way back when he'd met her in that diner—although there had been an unsuccessful kiss or two in their history. Still, Tyra was the only serious relationship he'd had, albeit platonic, and having that ripped away from him, by Tim Riggins nonetheless, cut deep into his soul.

The cab pulled up outside the same tired house his parents had lived in since Landry was young. He'd managed to talk them into a new car courtesy of their son's generous paycheck, but they were adamant that they didn't need anything more than the house they had. Besides, as his mother put it, how would she ever keep a big house clean? He didn't have the heart to offer her a maid service.

His father was waiting in the doorway when Landry strode up the front walk.

"Good to have you home, son," his father said warmly, gripping Landry in a tight hug.

Landry smiled and tried to show enthusiasm for spending Christmas with his folks, but they all knew that it was an act. He would give anything to be wrapping presents in his house in Nashville right now. And to be there in three days time when Jake came belting down the hallway to see what Santa had brought him this year.

If Landry had things his way, he planned to sleep right through Christmas Day and wake up on the 26th.

* * *

Tami paced from her living room to the front door, into the kitchen, and back again. She stopped to adjust an ornament on the tree, then made the same loop again.

Eric's slow drawl permeated her thoughts. "Change it up a bit, will ya? You're going to wear a hole in the carpet."

Tami stopped and picked up the candy dish, laying it back down just an inch to the right on the small hall table. "I can't help it," she said. "I just want my baby girl here with me and not out driving in this horrible weather."

She peered out the front window at the driving rain bouncing off their street. She's tried to talk Julie and Matt into flying up for Christmas, but Julie had insisted that it was a waste of money, and besides, all of their presents would never fit in suitcases. So instead they had left Dillon early this morning and should have been here two hours ago except this weather was certainly making them drive slower.

Either that or…no, she couldn't think of another scenario.

"Hon, will you sit down and relax? You're making me nervous."

Tami looked over at Eric and smiled apologetically. Just seeing him sitting there in his big recliner, still smaller than his normal weight after all the chemo he'd gone through this fall. But the cancer had been in remission for almost two months now, and Eric was feeling stronger every day. Still, not a day went by when she didn't get the familiar pang that she was going to lose him someday. Maybe not to cancer, and maybe they'd live to be a hundred and die together in some nursing home, but she was more aware than ever before of the frailty of life. And it was a lesson she could have done without.

Headlights lit up the living room wall and Tami whirled around to see a SUV pull into their driveway.

"It's them! They're here!"

Before Eric could stop her, she'd grabbed her coat off the hook in the porch and was running down the walk to greet Julie. Her daughter was staring at her through the car windshield like she was a lunatic, but Tami didn't care. A few months ago she feared she would lose her husband to this terrible disease. Now, she had her whole family together for Christmas and she planned to celebrate.

* * *

  
Lyla looked over at Jason and smiled. She had been surprised how much she had missed him while he was out of town.

"How did New York look?" she asked.

"Good—it was cold," Jason replied. "The Christmas windows were nice, but honestly," Jason paused as he leaned over and kissed her. "It wasn't the same without you there."

Lyla smiled and pulled over to the side of the road just down the street from their condo. "So, there's something I should probably tell you before we get home."

"You better not have put the tree up without me," Jason teased.

"No, I waited," Lyla replied. "I promised and you have to know, it was hard…I like having my tree up for a long time!"

"So, what is it…cause I have something to tell you too," Jason admitted.

"Say it at the same time?" Lyla asked.

Jason shrugged.

"1-2-3," Lyla said.

"My parents invited themselves down," Jason admitted.

"My dad just showed up," Lyla confessed.

"You're kidding!" they both shouted together.

Jason looked down the street where he could see Buddy's SUV parked outside their condo. "We can still make a clean getaway. I'm pretty sure he hasn't seen us."

Lyla laughed and shook her head. "Not so lucky…he's walking toward us and I'm pretty sure that's your mom right behind him."

Jason looked down the street. Sure enough, both of their parents were advancing on them. "Well, this sure brings a whole new meaning to _there's no place like home_."

_/tbc/_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first Christmas after the _Reunion_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to our beta, [](http://devilc.livejournal.com/profile)[devilc](http://devilc.livejournal.com/) for laughing really, really hard at this part. I think we've done our job.

Tyra placed the last dirty plate in the dishwasher and shut the door. She glanced around the kitchen, still messy from the BBQ the boys had cooked for supper. Or rather, the salads and bread and meat that she had spent all afternoon preparing topped off by the roughly 30 minutes of actual cooking that Tim had done on the barbeque.  
  
She listened to them all in the living room now, playing some new game Billy had brought to show Jake. It was nice to hear her house filled with laughter, and to watch Tim with Jake at Christmas for the first time. It was everything she had dreamed about for years and should have been perfect, but if she was being completely honest with herself, it wasn't quite.  
  
She missed Landry. He had dropped the news about going back to Dillon for Christmas over a month ago, but a part of her didn't really believe it until he'd left for the airport yesterday. He hadn't missed a single Christmas with her and Jake. Even when they'd gone to her mom's place for Christmas morning one year, Landry had been invited right along with them.  
  
She dunked a large wooden salad bowl in the sink full of soapy water and carefully washed it. Landry told her he was giving her time alone with the Riggins family for Christmas, but she knew the real reason. Landry didn't want to share his home with Tim and Billy, let alone in his life. And that made it really hard for Tyra, because she did.  
  
Drying her hands on the dry cloth, she sighed. She didn't want to be angry at Landry; especially not at Christmas time. Maybe she should call him and see if he'd come back early, before Tim and Billy went back to Dillon, so they could have at least one meal together as a family—her family and Tim's together. Landry was part of her family and always would be—he just had to remember that.  
  
Or be reminded.   
  
Listening to see that the boys were still in the living room, Tyra grabbed the phone and dialed Landry's parents' number. A male voice picked up on the second ring and her heart skipped a beat before she recognized Chad Clarke's voice.  
  
"Hi, Mr. Clarke, it's Tyra. Merry Christmas!"  
  
"Oh, Tyra, good to hear from you. Same to you."  
  
Was it just her, or was there a note of uneasiness in his voice?  
  
Shaking her head, she pressed on. "Is Landry home?" She was just being paranoid. No one hated her for getting back together with her son's father. It was just a transition period—they would come through this just fine.  
  
"Um, well let me see now, dear." Tyra could hear the sound of something being clamped over the receiver and a loud rustling masked Chad's voice.   
  
Finally he came back on the line. "No, no I don't think so. I think he went out…shopping. Some shopping I think."  
  
Tyra's face fell along with her heart. He was covering for his son, and wouldn't she do the same thing if it was Jake? She hoped she'd give Jake a stern lecture about family not being just those related by blood, but in the end she knew that she'd take her son's side, whatever his choices were.  
  
"Okay, well, could you tell him I called?"  
  
"Sure thing."  
  
"And please tell Mrs. Clarke I said hello. And Merry Christmas again!" Tyra forced a smile on her face and into her voice, but inside she felt empty. Slowly she lowered the receiver and sat silently at the kitchen table.  
  
A tear Tyra didn't know had formed slipped from her eye and she quickly wiped it away just as Jake burst into the kitchen. "Mom, look! I got the high score!"  
  
He held up Billy's game for her to see his achievement.  
  
"Good," she said half-heartedly, forcing a smile.  
  
"What's wrong? Who was on the phone?" Jake asked.  
  
Tyra tried to smile brighter. Jake always could sense her moods; she worried that she had put too much on his small shoulders over the years. But he was her constant, and she tried not to keep too much from him.  
  
"Grandpa Clarke. I just called to wish him and Grandma a Merry Christmas."  
  
"And talk to Landry?"  
  
Closing her eyes, Tyra nodded her head.  
  
Jake leaned into her, wrapping his small arms around her chest. "Why did Landry go away for Christmas? I thought he wanted to see my new bike."  
  
"What makes you think you're getting a new bike?" Tyra asked, smiling.  
  
"Because I was really good, and Billy told me Dad had one in the truck."  
  
Tyra fought hard to stifle a laugh. She hugged Jake back. "Maybe don't tell your Dad what Billy told you, okay? And there's still two days until Christmas, so you better go clean your room!"  
  
Jake groaned and pushed away from her, but stopped at the doorway to the kitchen. "Do you think Landry might come back and surprise us?"  
  
Tyra's face fell again. "I really don't think so, sweetheart. He's going to spend Christmas in Dillon this year."  
  
"Yeah," said Jake. "But he could still make it back if he left early Christmas morning, right?"  
  
Tyra shook her head. How did she explain the complexities of her and Landry's relationship and the challenge of adding Tim into the mix? It was simple—she didn't.  
  
"Tell you what, you can call him tomorrow night and open one of his presents over the phone, okay? Now room! Clean!"  
  
Jake ran from the kitchen, a smile beaming across his face. As the swinging door swung back and forth behind him, Tyra looked out to see Tim standing in the hallway. There was a strange look on his face. Almost sad, but…hurt. Her stomach clenched as she realized he must have overheard Jake talking in the kitchen. Happy that Tim was here with them, but not content without Landry.  
  
She stood and pushed the kitchen door open again. Tim was in the front porch, shrugging into his jacket.  
  
"Where are you going?" Tyra asked.  
  
"I've got a couple more presents in the truck," Tim mumbled.  
  
Tyra rubbed her hands nervously down the front of her jeans. He was upset. He had to be. "Do you want some help?" She grabbed her jacket.   
  
Tim bent over to reach for his cowboy boots. "I'm fine."  
  
Tyra saw his balance waver as he lifted his right foot off the floor. He didn't have enough strength in his left leg to hold himself upright.  
  
"Tim," she said quickly, reaching her arm out to steady him. "I can do it later. It's no big deal."   
  
He turned away from her and placed his hand flat on the wall before lifting his foot again. This time he succeeded, jamming his foot down into the boot quickly. His left boot was easier, but he barely bent his knee as he stood tall and lifted his leg up and down into the boot.  
  
"Be right back," he said as he opened the door and limped outside.  
  
Tyra watched through the glass panes as he walked slowly down the driveway to his truck. It pained her to see him hurting, but she wasn't ready to fight about it. Not now; not at Christmas. This was his first Christmas with Jake and she didn't want to make it any harder than it already was. Tim knew Jake loved him—that would have to be enough.  
  


* * *

  
"I know, Momma."  
  
"Yes, I promise, Momma."  
  
"I'll see you real soon, Momma."  
  
"I'll be fine!"  
  
Smash slapped his cell phone against his palm, ending the phone call with his mother. It was her third call today to ask him, again, if he wouldn't change his mind and come home for Christmas. He had decided during his last trip back for Thanksgiving that he really needed a break from family for one holiday. He was 27, single, living in New York City—the greatest city on earth! And yet, every holiday he scampered back to Dillon like some college freshman, desperate for a little home cooking. He could do this; he had to do this. He was spending this Christmas alone.  
  
Besides, what his mother didn't know yet was that inside those rather large boxes he'd shipped to Dillon was nothing more than four slips of paper—plane tickets for his mother, two sisters, and brother-in-law to fly to New York for New Year's Eve. He had the whole night planned. Dinner at  _Nobu_ , Times Square for the countdown—they were going to love it.  
  
And he would get a nice quiet Christmas without the guilt of not spending any of the holidays with his family.  
  
He took a wide step over the pile of slush on the sidewalk just outside  _Starbucks_  and stepped inside to warm up. The guy in front of him stepped up to place his order. "Venti non-fat, extra hot, low foam, soy latte with a cinnamon dusting."  
  
Smash stifled a laugh. The teenager taking orders looked like he was about to spout extra hot foam out of his ears.  
  
When it was his turn, he smiled broadly as he ordered. "Venti dark."  
  
There was an audible sigh from the kid. "Coffee should be simple, right, kid?" Smash offered.  
  
The teen smiled back at him.  
  
"Coffee should be an enjoyable experience for the taste buds, if you ask me."  
  
Smash turned his head to see the guy that had ordered ahead of him in line. "Well, I didn't ask you," Smash replied. "But feel free to have an opinion."  
  
There was a twitch near the man's eyes, almost as if he was going to get angry, then he started laughing. Smash smiled and turned away slightly, waiting for his drink. New York was full of strangers—some nice, most crazy—and he just wanted to get his coffee and go back to his condo to catch the Big 12 championship game.  
  
But the coffee shop stranger wasn't finished with him yet.  
  
"I'm Kevin," the man said, stepping around Smash to stretch out his hand. "Kevin Parisi."  
  
Smash eyed him warily for a second, then figured 'what the hell' and accepted Kevin's hand. "Brian. Brian Williams."  
  
Kevin's eyes widened. "Brian…Brian Williams as in Brian 'Smash' Williams, wide receiver for the New York Jets who went 1800 yards this season and is a lock for MVP if the Jets make it all the way to the Super Bowl…Brian Williams?"  
  
Smash nodded his head and smiled. He had gotten that reaction a lot lately. He had been featured prominently in commercials advertising the division play-offs; and of course the upcoming Super Bowl for which the Jets were a sure bet to play, if not win. Since coming out earlier this year, he'd suddenly been a very hot catch for the gay population in New York. And this guy…Smash looked down at Kevin's Gucci loafers, tailored jeans and Prada coat. His hair was cut in a messy shag, highlighted with tones of brown, blonde and red. Thick black frames adorned his eyes with a signature diamond double C design from Chanel on the arms.   
  
This guy was definitely gay.  
  
"Yeah, man, I'm Smash, but keep it hush, hush, you know? Wouldn't want to start a riot in here." Smash winked at Kevin and turned as both of their drinks were served.  
  
"Oh, I get it, believe me," Kevin replied. He placed his hand on Smash's arm and whispered conspiratorially. "You should see me trying to make my way through the women's lingerie department at  _Bloomingdales_."  
  
Smash raised his eyebrows and glanced down at Kevin's hand on his arm. "You buy a lot of women's lingerie?" If Kevin wasn't gay, Smash was losing his newly-honed gaydar abilities.  
  
"Oh God, not for me! No! Hell no." Kevin shuddered. He placed a lid carefully on his cup. " _Kevin Parisi Designs_? Hair stylist to the stars? Ring a bell at all?"  
  
Smash shook his head as Kevin sighed heavily.  
  
"Oh, I am people you need to know, darling, seriously. You're a big, hot gay guy in New York, sure, but the gay sports scene is the minor league. You should let me show you around sometime. I'll teach you how to be gay in New York."  
  
Smash glanced around the coffee shop to see if anyone had overheard them. It was still his gut instinct to hide the fact that he was gay, but everyone who knew his name knew about his sexual orientation. He was out whether he liked it or not.  
  
And he kind of liked this Kevin guy.  
  
"Sure," Smash said, placing a lid on his cup. "Sounds good, man."  
  
"Great!" Kevin replied. He slipped his arm through Smash's and steered him towards a table. "Now then, when shall we meet for lunch, because I have got serious contacts for you."  
  


* * *

  
"Lyla said you hadn't had a chance to get a tree, so I stopped and picked one up on my way into town," Buddy said as he carried in a tree that Jason had to guess was at least 9 feet tall.  
  
"Did you recall the size of our living room?" Jason asked as Buddy paused in front of the window with the enormous tree. It easily filled two thirds of the room and effectively cut off his only access to the kitchen and the door to the garage.  
  
"Mitch, bring over that tree stand," Buddy continued, not bothering to respond to Jason's question.  
  
Jason watched as his dad shrugged and picked up the industrial strength tree stand Buddy had carried in on his first trip from his truck.  
  
"Jason, shall I put these stockings up on the mantle?" his mom asked as she walked into the room with four stockings in her hand. "I made one special for Lyla, now that she's joining the family." She paused and looked over where Buddy and Mitch were working on the tree. "I'm so sorry, Buddy—I just had no idea you were going to be here. I'll have to run down to  _Wal-Mart_  later to get you one of your own."  
  
"Oh, that's okay, Joanne," Buddy replied as he stepped back from the tree and turned to face her. "I brought my own stocking."  
  
"Uh, Buddy," Mitch said as the tree started to tip. He reached up to grab the tree, but once it started, nothing was stopping that tree from hitting the ground. He attempted to break free, but the mass of the tree took him to the floor.  
  
"Timber!" Jason called out as it hit the ground.  
  
"Anyone need a White Russian?" Lyla asked as she walked in the room with a tray of glasses.  
  
Mitch stuck his hand out from under the tree. "I'll take one right here," he replied, his voice muffled.  
  


* * *

  
Landry looked up as his father pushed his bedroom door open.  
  
"Your mother thought you could use a cookie," his dad said.  
  
Landry took in the platter of cookies set out in individual green and red wrappers that his father held. "Did she also think I could use a few pounds?"  
  
His dad grinned and crossed over to place the tray on Landry's old desk. His room hadn't changed since high school—walls still covered in posters of Creed, an old flyer for Crucifixtorius (his current band-mates still teased him about that name) and a tired old stereo still sitting on a teetering bookcase.  
  
"You know, you and Mom really should turn this into a den or something. It's not like I'm here very often."  
  
His father's face sobered. Landry mentally kicked himself. He was back in Dillon for the first time since his reunion in April and he was spoiling the visit by pointing out how rare it was. He sat up and leaned forward on his bed. "Pass over those cookies. Does she have peanut butter balls?"  
  
"Even better," his father replied, grabbing the tray and sitting on the foot of Landry's bed. "Rum balls."  
  
Landry took two cookies and leaned back against the pillow, letting the feeling of just being safe in his old house with his mother and father wash over him. It was a good feeling, even if it wasn't where he wanted to be right now.  
  
"Oh, Tyra called earlier," his dad said from around a bite of chocolate-dipped shortbread.   
  
Landry's stomach dropped. He waited for his father to continue.  
  
"Just said to tell you she called. And wished us all a Merry Christmas."  
  
Oh yeah, a very Merry Christmas with Tim there to do all of the things Landry usually did.  
  
'Stop it!', he mentally screamed at himself. He was not Tyra's husband. They had never been romantic, and their relationship was stronger because of it. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being left out in the cold this holiday.  
  
"You know, son," his Dad continued. "Your mother and I were thinking we would open our presents a bit before Christmas morning this year."  
  
"Christmas Eve?" Landry asked. "Sure. I like my sleep."  
  
"We were thinking more like tonight. Then we could just spend a quiet Christmas morning together, just the two of us."  
  
Landry raised his eyebrows—his Dad didn't want him there for Christmas?  
  
Chad sighed heavily. "Son, that boy loves you like a father. And even if he's got his dad back in his life, you'll always have those years together. Jake's not going to forget that. Tyra's not going to forget."  
  
His rum ball suddenly lost all of its taste. Landry stared up at the ceiling. "I just don't want to be the third wheel. Or fifth wheel."  
  
"So you aren't going to be the one to put the tree topper on the tree, or carve the turkey or whatever traditions you normally have—it's still your home. Tyra and Jake live with you and they haven't wanted to change that. You don't need to run away from them."  
  
Landry nodded. His father was right. But he'd come all the way down to Dillon; how could he just walk out on Christmas with his folks and head back to Nashville? And there were probably no flights left anyway.  
  
"Come on," his dad said, rising and taking the tray of cookies with him. "Your mother made some egg nog and I've got a little rum stashed away to help us celebrate properly. You call the airlines and see what they've got open. And there's always our old wagon."  
  
"Is that thing still alive?" Landry asked.  
  
"Well, you bought us the new one, but the old gal still ran great so I kept her in the garage. She's all yours if you want her."  
  
Slowly, Landry rose off his bed and glanced around. It was full of so many memories of his childhood, and he knew his parents were overjoyed to have him back here to celebrate the holidays with them. But they also wanted him to be happy. And he wanted to make Jake happy too.  
  
He just had to find out if going back would make Tyra happy.  
  


* * *

  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lyla asked Jason's dad as she handed him an ice pack for the bump on the back of his head.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Mitch replied as he held the ice pack up with his left hand and lifted his third White Russian to his lips with his right.  
  
"You have to stop Buddy," Jason said under his breath.  
  
Lyla peeked around the corner from the kitchen to check and see what was happening in the living room. After she had helped her dad get the tree off Jason's father, they had retreated to the kitchen for safety.  
  
"I didn't ask him to come," Lyla whispered back, trying to defend herself. "And I sure didn't tell him to bring a tree!"  
  
"He almost killed my dad!" Jason said a bit louder.  
  
"No permanent damage," Mitch slurred as he set his glass down and walked back into the living room.  
  
"Do you really think getting him drunk is a good idea?" Jason asked. "He might have a head injury."  
  
Lyla poured herself another drink and smiled at her fiancé. "I think we're all just coping the best way we can, Jason."  
  
"This isn't what I wanted," Jason complained. "I haven't seen you for almost two weeks. I wanted…"  
  
"You think I wanted this?!" Lyla responded, her voice rising. "My god, your mom brought stockings and her own recipes."  
  
"My mom's recipes are good," Jason snapped back, his voice growing louder as well.  
  
Lyla sat down on the stool in front of the breakfast bar and laid her head down on the counter. She had a perfect vision of their first Christmas—a little tree that they could decorate together, lying on the floor in front of the fire in Jason's arms, going to church for the candlelight service and opening their gifts together by the tree with Christmas music playing softly in the background.  
  
She felt Jason's hand come up on her back, softly rubbing back and forth across her tense muscles. He slid his other hand on her leg, pulling himself as close as he could get. "Sorry, Lyla…I just…"  
  
She turned and looked at him, unable to stop the tears that had formed in her eyes. "It just isn't what I wanted," she said.  
  
"Give me five minutes," Jason replied.  
  
She sat there, not moving as voices murmured and the door opened and closed. Then it was quiet again. Before long, Jason was next to her.  
  
"They're gone," Jason said.  
  
She turned her head so she could see him. He was amazing. He could do anything. "Gone?"  
  
Jason shrugged. "Well, gone to the hotel. But I told them they could come back tomorrow afternoon after we've finished decorating the tree, but that we were going to church alone tomorrow night and then they weren't invited back again until Christmas brunch."  
  
"And the tree?" Lyla asked, afraid of what she might hear.  
  
"Well, it broke about 5 feet from the top when it fell on my dad, so Buddy cut it off and put it in the stand.  
  
Lyla got off the stool and sat down on Jason's lap. "You don't have to give me one more present," she said as she leaned against him. "This is enough—just this."  
  
 _/tbc/_


	3. Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story—Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first Christmas after the _Reunion_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to our beta, [](http://devilc.livejournal.com/profile)[devilc](http://devilc.livejournal.com/), once again. We had hoped to have this story finished before Christmas, but other stories and our own holiday plans kept us busy. Hopefully you are all still feeling the festive spirit.

**Title** : Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story—Chapter 3  
 **Author** : [](http://shelbecat.livejournal.com/profile)[**shelbecat**](http://shelbecat.livejournal.com/) and [](http://rachel-wilder.livejournal.com/profile)[**rachel_wilder**](http://rachel-wilder.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating** : T (aka PG-13)  
 **Summary** : It's the first Christmas after the _Reunion_.

**Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story  
Chapter 3**

"So, did you get Julie something special for the holidays?" Eric asked as he set his coffee mug down on the table across from Matt.

"Not really," Matt replied. "I mean, I tried to do something nice for her, but she didn't see it that way."

Eric took a sip of coffee and set the mug back down. "What do you mean?"

Matt folded up the newspaper he had been reading and set it on the table. "Well, I just thought that maybe she'd like to have some time with you and Mrs. Taylor—I mean, after everything that's gone on this year, I just thought maybe it would be easier to just be the family again. So, I called my dad and asked if I could come to San Diego and spend Christmas with him."

Eric leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "Do you not feel like you're part of this family, Matt?"

Matt shrugged. "No…yes…I mean, you're just really tight and I know that you say that we're all a family now, but Julie and me…well, we're not married and…"

"And why is that?" Eric asked.

Matt just shrugged, his cheeks reddening slightly.

Eric nodded. He knew perfectly well what Julie and Matt's reason was for postponing their wedding, and he hated that his illness had affected their life in such a way. But over the years he'd learned to respect his daughter's wishes. Now however, he was in remission and he saw no reason why everyone couldn't just forget about him having cancer and get on with their lives.

"So, you offered to go see your dad in San Diego and she got mad?" Eric asked, changing the subject.

"Well, she got quiet and then she didn't talk to me and then she said I should do whatever I wanted. So then I called Landry and he said that meant to NOT do what I was planning to do originally. And then I called my dad back and told him I wasn't coming," Matt explained.

Eric hid his smile behind his coffee cup. "So, you haven't resolved any of this?"

Matt shook his head.

"Well, Matt, that is a mistake," Eric said. "I've known Tami for over twenty-five years and if I have learned one thing about Taylor women, it's to not let things fester. You need to get this out in the open with Julie and figure out what's upsetting her. And you also need to explain to her what you were thinking because these women of ours—they're wonderful and smart and gorgeous as hell, but mind readers they are not."

* * *

  
"Dad, Dad come here!"

Tim shrugged his jacket off and hung it on a hook in the front porch. Jake was yelling his name from the living room and he could hear Tyra and Billy laughing over the strains of Christmas music. He stopped in the doorway of the room, smiling as he watched Billy peek into a gift bag that presumably had his name on it while Jake hung ornaments on the tree and Tyra cautioned their son to 'not break that one, please!'.

When Tim and Billy had arrived two days before, he'd fully expected for there to be a tree already assembled in the Collette household. And there was a tree, a monstrous blue spruce that took up the entire alcove of the living room bay window. But it was completely void of decorations. Tyra and Jake had waited for Tim and Billy before decorating it.

Secretly he thought Tyra just hated putting on the Christmas lights, since he had spent three hours last night stringing a dozen sets of miniature white lights on the tree; but it was the first real tree he'd had since before his parents left, and he was happy to do it.

Tim rubbed his hands together briskly. "Alright, where are the popcorn strings?"

"Dad! Tim!" Tyra and Jake moaned in unison.

Tim laughed and reached for a ceramic candy cane from the nearly empty box of ornaments. He hung it on the tree and stepped back to examine his work.

"Guess we're almost done," he said to Jake, selecting another ornament from the box.

"Oh, I need you to bring down the other boxes from the attic," Tyra said. "And there's a box in the basement too. And maybe one in Jake's closet."

Tim's mouth gaped open at her. Sure it was a big tree, but it was already peppered with ornaments. It looked fine to him.

"How many boxes are we talkin' here?"

"Just a couple. Maybe six or 10. A dozen tops."

Tim rolled his eyes and leaned down to nudge Jake. "How long does it normally take you to decorate this tree?"

Jake shrugged. "Like, a week?"

"A week," Tim repeated. He smiled mischievously at Tyra. "A week when you could be outside playing ball, or watching TV, or maybe…maybe watching the Titans?"

Tim pulled a pair of tickets for the Tennessee Titans out of his back pocket. He saw Jake's eyes widen just as Tyra's smile faltered.

"You got tickets! Mom! Tickets!" Jake grabbed the tickets out of Tim's hand and raced down the hallway yelling, "I've got to get my jersey!"

He watched Jake scurry off with a smile on his face. He hadn't discussed the tickets with Tyra, but Jason had called last week to offer them to Tim, and of course he had jumped on it.

"Tim," Tyra said softly, bringing back to reality. "It's Christmas Eve."

"It's an early game," he said quickly, taking an ornament from her hand and laying it aside. He pulled her closer towards him. "We'll be back before dark, and you know he wants to go."

"But…"

"Mom, where's my ball?" Jake shouted from his bedroom.

Tyra smiled and shook her head. "I wanted to bake cookies, and finish decorating the tree."

"We've still got time before we leave. We'll finish the tree, but only 6 boxes of decorations."

"But we have these little handmade ones I bought in California…"

"Six more boxes of decorations from any room in the house is my final offer," Tim said. "And Billy will help with the cookies."

Tyra did not look convinced that Billy was interested in or able to help with any sort of baking.

From his seat on the floor where he was creatively rearranging the presents so that all of his were on top, Billy looked up. "Can we make brownies with cream cheese and white chocolate coconut icing?"

Tyra's eyes bugged out on her cheeks.

"Oh yeah, Billy watches the Food Network a lot. Like, a lot, a lot," Tim offered as an explanation.

Tyra still looked wary.

"And he is actually good at measuring. Seriously." Tim held up his hands in submission. She had to say yes. He really wanted this time with Jake to just enjoy Christmas together and be alone with him.

He saw Tyra relenting before she even spoke.

"Thank you," Tim said quickly, silencing her with a kiss.

Jake came tearing into the living room with his jersey half pulled across his body and his Titans cap askew on his head. "I'm ready!"

"Easy buddy," Tim replied. "Let's finish this tree and then we'll go, okay?"

"Okay," Jake said, immediately reaching for a box with a large white angel inside. "Can you help me put on the angel? Lift me up."

Tim reached down to wrap his arms around Jake's midsection, grunting as he hefted his son upwards. It wasn't the strain on his leg, although he definitely felt the extra weight, but the tree brushed the ceiling, and Jake was almost 70 pounds.

"Ugh, you're heavy buddy," Tim huffed. He wavered as Jake reached out with the angel and Tyra stretched up to guide his hands into place.

"Don't you have a ladder for this?" Tim shifted Jake slightly in his arms and reached up one last time for Jake to put the angel in place. "How did you do this last year?"

Jake looked down as Tim lowered his son to the ground. "Easy. Landry always lifts me up."

A chill ran down his spine as Jake turned back to the ornaments. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tyra looking at him, her face filled with concern. He turned away, anxious to get out of this room.

"Boxes in the attic, right?" Tim said to no one in particular, already halfway out of the room. He'd never expected his first Christmas as a father to be free of problems that he'd have to figure out an impossible solution for; but he'd never imagined he'd be replacing someone else as father-figure at the same time. Landry was important to Jake, and today, more than ever before, Tim was keenly aware that he was the reason Landry wasn't here. Tim was in, Landry was out. And Jake missed him.

* * *

  
The phone in Smash's pocket beeped. He pulled it out. Another text message from Kevin.

_Dinner?_

Smash started to type a message back, then stopped and hit the call button.

"Hey," he said as Kevin answered. "Uh…about dinner…"

He listened to Kevin for a moment. "No, the thing is, I'm kinda busy tonight."

Smash chewed on the edge of his thumb as he listened to Kevin describe the dinner he had planned—at his apartment. They'd only met yesterday, and sure they'd spent last night together—fast, but Kevin was really hot—but Smash wasn't sure he was ready to start something serious with this guy.

"It sounds really nice, honestly, but…"

He could barely get a word in edgewise as Kevin continued to try to change his mind.

"Thing is," Smash started. "It's Christmas and I just need the choir, the kids, the pageant, all of it."

Kevin was silent.

Smash let out a quick chuckle. "Yep, a gay Christian football player. I'm quite a catch."

Kevin's response wasn't one he was expecting. Smash replied quickly, "Are you serious? I mean, I'm cool with it, but just so you know, it's Baptist and honey, it's a black church." He tried to sound cool, but he was freaking himself out. This guy was really getting to him. Did he just say 'honey'? What was he thinking? Why had he just invited this guy to church with him…to his Baptist church?

"What?" he asked, missing Kevin's last question. "Oh, yeah—dinner after? Sure."

Church. Dinner. His mom coming in a few days. The game. This was not going to be a Christmas easily forgotten.

* * *

  
"So then I told him that if he didn't really want to spend Christmas with me, he should just go and be with his dad, who he barely ever talks to and hasn't even seen since his grandmother died." Julie collapsed down onto a mall bench and let her packages fall to the floor beside her.

Tami sat down next to her daughter and tried to paint an encouraging smile on her face. She wanted to be supportive, but inside she was wondering what had gotten into her daughter. Tell Matt that she didn't care if they spent Christmas apart, after the year they'd all had? That didn't sound like Julie at all.

"Well, honey, did you ask him why he wanted to go spend Christmas with his Dad?" Tami probed gently.

"Yeah, he said he thought I'd like the chance to spend Christmas with you and Dad. Just us. What kind of answer is that?"

Tami chewed on her lip and tried to hide a grin. It sounded like the type of answer a man gave when he thought it was what his wife wanted to hear, not what he wanted at all.

She took a sip of her chai latte and looked around at the shoppers busily finishing their shopping. She would never understand how people could leave everything until Christmas Eve. Then she glanced down at the sea of packages surrounding her and Julie and smiled. Maybe they were all just like her and her daughter—in need of retail therapy.

Tami looked over at Julie who seemed lost in thought. "Are you sure there's nothing else going on between you two? I know it's been a hard year."

Julie looked down at her hands silently.

"What about your treatments? Is Matt still going to all of your appointments with you?"

Julie shook her head, not speaking, but Tami saw her lip tremble.

"Jules?" she asked, laying a hand gently on her daughter's arm.

A tear rolled down Julie's cheek but there was a small smile on her face. "I didn't want to tell you yet," she said, her voice catching on sobs in her throat.

Tami's eyes widened but she waited for her daughter to continue.

"I saw the doctor a few weeks ago. He said he saw no reason why I couldn't get pregnant naturally, without any more treatments."

Tami tried to suppress her tears but it was hopeless. She grabbed Julie into a hug, ignoring the crowds of people milling about them.

"Honey! That is the best news ever. I'm…I'm so happy for you. For both of you!"

Julie smiled, her cheeks shining with tears, but then her smile slowly faded.

"What is it? This is good news!"

"I know, but I didn't tell Matt yet. I was saving it for Christmas, and then he said he'd rather not be with me anyway. And I just don't know."

Tami sighed, shaking her head. "Jules, let me tell you something. Marriage is hard." She held up her hand to stop her daughter's objections. "I know you aren't married yet, but you are engaged and living together and working on having children—you have a life with Matt. And it's a struggle, I know.

"And I love you honey, I really do, but you are not communicating with that man."

Tami hated to talk to her daughter so bluntly, but she'd watched Julie push Matt away every time a big problem arose. When Julie had first found out about her possible infertility, she kept it a secret. Then when Eric was diagnosed with cancer, she kept her concerns about going ahead with the wedding quiet until it was almost too late to postpone it.

"Baby girl, that boy loves you. He has loved you since the day you started dating, probably before. And he would lay down his life for you. He would certainly spend Christmas wherever you wanted to, and be happy with your news.

"It's not right to keep this from him. You have to enjoy the good moments, Jules. There are too many turns in the road. Don't take away the good stuff."

Tami thought about Eric and the road they had traveled together over the past year. In many ways it had brought them closer together, but it was a difficult test of their relationship. If she could impart anything on her daughter, she wanted it to be the lesson to grab on to those happy times and squeeze every last drop of joy from them. Life was too short to live it any other way.

"I guess I just worry about you and Dad and I want him to be healthy and strong, and not have to worry about grandkids and me getting married and…"

"You do not get to take away your dad's worry—he has earned that!" Tami smiled and gently squeezed Julie's shoulder. "Celebrate this Christmas with your fiancé. Celebrate trying to make a baby—that's the best part! And celebrate Dad's health. Don't let the bad memories cloud this Christmas. We're lucky to have it."

Julie smiled and wiped away her tears. "Can I wait until tomorrow to tell Matt, like I planned?"

Tami matched her daughter's smile. "Of course, hon. Just remember that he doesn't know what you know. He's trying to make you happy. Let him."

"I will. Thanks, Mom."

"Always honey. And get busy making me a grandbaby! But get married first. I don't think your father's heart could withstand that one."

* * *

  
Lyla tiptoed into the bedroom. Jason's eyes were still closed and his breathing even—from all signs he was still asleep. She set down a cup of coffee on her bedside table and slid the soft terry robe from her shoulders. She pulled back the sheets and slid back into bed next to Jason.

"Mmm…" he sighed as she slid her hand up his arm, her thumb skimming across the soft skin where his inner arm met his body. She knew he was overly sensitive there—he'd told her once that it was the quad's 'G Spot'. If the coffee didn't wake him up, that would. She slid over his body and leaned in to kiss him.

"Merry Christmas Eve, baby," she said as she sat back up.

Jason opened his eyes slowly. "Well, don't you look nice, Mrs. Claus!"

Lyla laughed as she raised her hand to touch the Santa hat sitting rakishly on her long dark hair. "So, have you been good or bad this year, Jason Street?"

"Very bad," Jason replied.

"That's not what I heard," Lyla answered as she leaned down to kiss him again. Jason pulled her close to him as she laughed. "Careful—no molesting Mrs. Claus! What would Santa say?"

"I think he'd understand," Jason whispered into her ear. "There's no way I could resist her."

Lyla rolled on her side next to Jason, her finger tracing along his chest where she knew he had sensation.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged. "I don't know—just how amazing this year has been. Just think, a year ago we were in New York and didn't know what would happen between us and now, we're engaged, living together, building a house…"

"Building a life," Jason added.

"Yeah," Lyla said quietly.

"What are you worried about?" Jason asked.

God—he always knew her so well. But she didn't want to ruin Christmas, or at least not do any more damage than their parents already had done.

"Lyla?" Jason asked as he ran his hand down the edge of her face. "What's going on in there?"

She forced the smile across her face and sat up, the Santa hat still perched on her head. "Nothing—just thinking about our parents in the breakfast room down at the hotel. I hope Buddy isn't causing a scene."

Jason pushed down on the bed and slowly lifted himself up into a seated position, his back resting against the headboard. "I'm pretty sure that's not it, but you'll tell me when you're ready."

Lyla nodded, trying to stop the tears from filling her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me?" Jason asked again, his voice gentle and soft.

Lyla looked down, her finger picking at a string on the sheet covering Jason's lower body. She finally looked up, the tears now welling up beyond her control. "I was late this month and I know we're going to have to go to the fertility clinic, but we had that great weekend in San Antonia and the tournament in Phoenix and I guess a little part of me thought that maybe it had just happened."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jason asked. He reached over and took her hand in his.

She shrugged. "Because I knew it wasn't really true and if it was…"

"Christmas miracle?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, maybe," Lyla replied.

Jason leaned in and kissed her. "The miracle this year will be us all surviving our first Garrity/Street family holiday." He reached down and put his hand on her stomach. "And maybe next year our miracle will be here for sure."

Lyla nodded, as she raised her hand up to wipe away a couple of tears that had escaped.

"And honestly, I'm a little glad to know that behavior last night was PMS," Jason added.

"Jason Street!" Lyla called out as she slapped him on the arm. She hit him a bit harder than she expected and before he could catch himself, he began falling over sideways on the bed.

"Hey!" he called as he slid on his side. "Easy."

Lyla slung her leg over him and leaned in for another kiss. "Santa never says 'easy' when I take him."

* * *

  
Tyra had snuck another three boxes of ornaments onto the tree before Billy, who appeared to be completely engrossed in his GameBoy, admonished her 'Tim can count you know.' She'd laughed and hidden the evidence of her decorating, then set about making Billy's requested cookies. It turned out that Billy had a good idea of how to make icing, and sure, it was pretty sweet, but everyone could use a little more sugar at Christmas time.

She had just finished setting the table for dinner and sat down with a glass of red wine when she heard someone at the front door. It was too early for Tim and Jake to be back. Curious, she pushed through the swinging door and walked toward the front porch.

Shocked, she stopped still in the hallway when she saw who was standing there.

Landry dropped his bag on the floor and looked up at her. "Merry Christmas."

_/tbc/_   


* * *

**Disclaimer** : All characters who appear in these stories belong to their respective creators, including Imagine Entertainment, NBC Universal Television Studio and Film 44.  
 **Authors' Note** : Thanks to our beta, [](http://devilc.livejournal.com/profile)[**devilc**](http://devilc.livejournal.com/) , once again. We had hoped to have this story finished before Christmas, but other stories and our own holiday plans kept us busy. Hopefully you are all still feeling the festive spirit.


	4. Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story—Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first Christmas after the _Reunion_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to our beta, [](http://devilc.livejournal.com/profile)[devilc](http://devilc.livejournal.com/); coming tomorrow, a sneak peak at the next installment in the _Reunion_ saga.

**Title** : Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story—Chapter 4  
 **Author** : [](http://shelbecat.livejournal.com/profile)[**shelbecat**](http://shelbecat.livejournal.com/) and [](http://rachel-wilder.livejournal.com/profile)[**rachel_wilder**](http://rachel-wilder.livejournal.com/)  
 **Rating** : T (aka PG-13)  
 **Summary** : It's the first Christmas after the _Reunion_.

**Family Ties: A Reunion Christmas Story  
Chapter 4**

Tim picked up Jake's coat from where he'd thrown it on the floor and smiled at his son again.

"And did you see that last touchdown? 80 yards? Awesome!"

Jake hadn't stopped talking about the game since they'd left the stadium, and Tim was happy to listen to him for hours. Jay had really come through for them—tickets on the 50 yard line, 10 rows back. Technically it was a Christmas present from Tim to Jake, but it felt like Jason had given him the present of quality time with his son—something that had been sorely missing from his life. And Tyra had cooperated, not even Billy tagged along to take anything away from the father-son afternoon.

"Mom! Mom"! Jake yelled for Tyra as he shook off his boots.

Tim looked up to see Tyra coming out of the kitchen towards them, and smiled at her. It wasn't returned. Instead, she absently touched Jake's hair and nodded at his football tales.

"That's great, honey. Uh, Tim..." Tyra started.

"And then the full back, that's what you played, right Dad? And then the full back..." Jake continued.

Tim looked from Jake to Tyra, Jake practically hopping from one foot to the other in excitement and Tyra a stone wall. What had happened?

"Okay, go get washed up for dinner, Jake. And Tim..." she tried again.

But Jake wasn't listening to his mother at all. "And you should have seen the people! There were so many..."

"Jake!" Tyra snapped. "I want you to go get washed up. Dinner's in 20 minutes."

Tim's eyes widened at Tyra's sharp tone. And Jake looked like someone had slapped him.

Tim stepped in and interjected. "Why don't you go try on your new jersey? And wash your hands too, okay?" He handed Jake the bag with a Tennessee Titans jersey in the next size up. He knew Tyra would think it was wasteful, but he'd been powerless to stop himself from indulging Jake today. It was their first Christmas together. He wanted it to be memorable.

Beside him, Tyra covered her eyes with her hands, then slowly dropped her shoulder. "Damn," she said softly under her breath.

"He'll be okay," Tim replied. "What's going on?"

Tyra opened her mouth to speak when Jake suddenly rushed back down the hall and took a sharp turn towards the kitchen.

"I just have to tell Uncle Billy one thing!" he yelled as he flew past his parents.

"Jake, no!" Tyra yelled after him.

Tim just stared after him as Jake burst through the swinging kitchen door and stopped short. Jake's reaction was one of complete joy, and Tim's couldn't have been more opposite.

"Landry!" Jake screamed.

Tim met Landry's eyes through the open doorway for a split second, then Jake moved into the kitchen and the door fell shut behind him. He stood still in the hallway, staring at the closed door. Tyra slowly turned back to face him, her face apologetic.

"He surprised me while you were out," she said simply.

Tim didn't say anything. He just turned, and walked into the living room.

* * *

  
Matt walked into the kitchen to see Julie washing dishes at the sink. Her blonde hair was swept across her shoulder, revealing a creamy white patch of skin at her neck. Matt leaned in from behind her, touching his mouth to her neck in a gentle kiss. She sighed happily and instantly he was transported back a year, back to last Christmas when they had been busy planning their wedding, and infertility and cancer were nowhere in their vocabulary.

Perhaps Julie was thinking the same thing, because a moment later when she turned around there were tears on her cheeks.

"What is it?" he said, raising his hand to her face. His stomach felt like lead, any hopes of them having a romantic Christmas Eve vanishing with each new tear that fell from her eyes.

"I have to tell you something," Julie said, reaching out with wet hands to take hold of his hand. "Come with me."

Matt followed her mutely through the house, trailing behind her up the stairs to the guest room they were staying in. Inside, Julie rummaged through an overnight bag until she came out with an envelope.

"This is for you," she said simply, holding it out to him.

Unsure, Matt took it, noticing immediately the hospital logo on the envelope. He looked at her questioningly, but she just nodded toward the envelope, silently encouraging him to open it.

A slim piece of paper slipped out into his hands and he unfolded it slowly. Julie's name, her patient number, medical jargon and numbers all littered the page. But none of it made sense to him at that moment. He looked up at her and she reached out to flip the piece of paper over in his hands. On the back, in her delicate handwriting, was written:

_This means we can have children._

_Merry Christmas,  
Your love_

His stomach clenched, his eyes prickled with tears, and the look on Julie's face was one of pure bliss. Even more tears fell from her eyes, but for the first time in months, they were happy tears. Fighting back the urge to cry himself, Matt took his fiancé into his arms and hugged her tightly. It had been a long road through the darkness of cancer and the fear of them never being able to have children on their own, but this was a sign of light at the end. This was a sign of hope.

"Merry Christmas, baby," Julie whispered against his collar.

"The best ever," he replied softly.

* * *

  
Tyra checked on Jake and Landry in the kitchen, then excused herself. She found Tim in the living room staring at the Christmas tree. She hesitated in the doorway, wondering if it wasn't best to just leave him alone to process Landry's arrival.

Then, against her better judgment, she walked into the room and bent down to retrieve a gift from beneath the tree. She had been saving it to give to Tim tonight. Rising, she walked over to him and silently pressed it into his hands.

"What's this?" Tim asked gruffly.

"Open it," she replied.

Ripping the paper away, Tim opened the package to reveal a book inside— _The Night Before Christmas_. His fingers trailed over the cover, his eyes rising up to meet hers, an unspoken question resting there.

Tyra smiled. "I used to read it to Jake every Christmas Eve. Sort of like a mother-son tradition." She paused, placing her hand atop Tim's on the book's cover. "I want you to read it tonight. Start a father-son tradition."

Tim stared down at their hands resting together, then back up at her. "I don't think I really know how to be a father."

His words made her heart ache. It was one of her greatest fears that things wouldn't work out between her, Jake and Tim. She had kept them apart for so long, it wasn't fair to think things would all fall into place easily.

But then, Tim seemed to love Jake so much. And Jake cherished his father. Was it so much to ask that they be a happy family for once?

"Tim, I didn't grow up with a father. And you...well, you know what that's like too. Jake hasn't had a father either."

She silenced Tim's coming objection with her hand. "No, Landry is not Jake's father. He's never been Jake's father, and Jake has never called him dad.

"I know this is hard and new and strange...and scary! But isn't it worth it? To be here, with me and Jake, and Billy...and Landry." Tyra laughed as the list grew longer and longer.

A small smile crept across Tim's face at her words.

She shrugged, "They're our family, right? We have to put up with them."

Tim leaned in close to her, matching his forehead to hers. "Do we have to spend all night with them?"

"Absolutely not," Tyra replied quickly, grinning mischievously. "I think kids have to go to bed extra early on Christmas Eve. And those other two can take care of themselves!"

Tim matched her smile and pulled her with him down into an armchair. Tenderly his lips met hers. Then he pulled away and looked at the book now resting on Tyra's lap.

"Thank you," he said simply.

"Merry Christmas," Tyra replied.

* * *

  
"Pretty good Christmas, don't you think?" Tami said as she snuggled up against her husband.

"Yep," he replied. "Pretty darned good, Grandma."

Tami looked over at her husband, his hair sticking up every which way. "I am much too young to be called Grandma."

Eric coughed lightly and cleared his throat. "So, what are you going to be called? Nana?"

"I think Miss Tami has a nice ring to it," Tami replied. "What about you, Grandpa?"

Eric laughed. "I like it, actually—it's a sign of honor for me."

"Grandma," Tami said. "Ohmigod, my grandma was old and wrinkled."

Eric leaned over and kissed her. "Well, you are definitely a hot grandma."

The smile faded from Tami's face. "You know, she could still have trouble. I mean, we thought we'd have a pack of kids and well, that just never happened for us."

Eric took her hand in his. "That could always happen—it's true, but right now they're so excited by the possibility of it all. Let's remember that."

Tami looked over and smiled at him. "Okay, Grandpa."

* * *

  
Landry smiled at Jake and took another, rather large, sip of his wine. He was cordoned off in the kitchen with Billy and Jake while Tyra 'spoke to' Tim in the living room. Landry could hear their quiet voices and knew he was completely to blame for ruining their Christmas Eve. Five different times he'd pulled off the highway and opened his cell phone to call Tyra and let her know he was coming back. And five different times he'd snapped it shut again and continued driving.

He wanted to be with his family for Christmas. He loved his parents, but Jake and Tyra were home to him. And if Tim didn't like it....

Well, truth be told if Tim didn't like it Landry had already booked a room at the Marriott in town just in case. He didn't want to stay there, but seeing Jake open even one of his presents would be better than spending Christmas in Dillon without Jake around at all.

"Jake, why don't you show Billy your new jersey Tim bought you? I'm just going to go talk to your mom," Landry said, moving towards the door.

"I wouldn't do that," Billy said.

Landry examined Billy for a moment, who had seemed to not be paying attention at all to what was going on around him.

"Tim gets real quiet when he's mad. I should know. And I don't hear no shouting, do you?"

Landry scrubbed the back of his head quickly with his hand. Damn it all anyway. He'd just wanted a happy Christmas with the people he cared about, was that so much to ask?

Setting his lips in a thin line, he pushed through the door into the living room, determined to get things out in the open once and for all. What he saw when he entered made him stop in his tracks. Tim and Tyra weren't fighting, quite the opposite. Tim was sitting in an armchair by the fireplace, and Tyra was curled on his lap, kissing him fervently.

"Um," Landry said, coughing roughly.

"Oh!" Tyra said, coming up for air and laughing. She placed a hand to her cheeks, doubtlessly flushed from the heat of Tim instead of the fire.

Landry looked from Tyra to Tim and back again. "I just..." He gestured over his shoulder to the front door. "I booked a hotel room, you know, just in case."

Now Tyra looked angry, standing from Tim's lap and walking across the room to where Landry stood.

"A hotel room? When you've got a perfectly good house that you bought and paid for standing right here?" Tyra asked. "And what do you plan to tell Jake when he asks why you're not here to make him cinnamon buns tomorrow morning. You know I always burn them."

Behind Tyra, Landry saw Tim raise himself up slowly out of the chair. He couldn't get a read on Tim's emotions, but there was no shouting—that was always a good sign.

"Look, Tim, I didn't mean to ruin your Christmas, man," Landry offered.

Tim shook his head, waving off the apology.

"I mean, I know you wanted to spend time with Jake. And I'm not trying to take that away from you. I just...they're my family too. And I know I'm not Jake's father, or Tyra's husband, but they've been my family for a long time, Tim," Landry said, his voice breaking slightly at the end.

"I was never real good at sharing, Landry," Tim replied.

Landry stopped talking, looking from Tim, whose face was still unreadable, to Tyra, who just looked sad. And to think he'd actually had visions of walking in here to open arms and a happy Christmas just like they used to have.

Tyra sighed and opened her mouth to speak but Landry silenced her.

"Look, I'll give you tonight, but this is my house too, and I don't really want to spend Christmas in a hotel."

"No one is going to a hotel," Tyra said firmly. She glanced at Tim whose mouth was open to speak. "No one. This is what is going to happen. I am going to finish cooking us a delicious meal. We are going to sit down and eat every one of Billy's frightfully fattening icing with a little bit of cookie on the side, and we are going to have Christmas together. As a family."

Landry watched Tim bow his head, silent, then flip his hair up and nod once, quickly.

"Okay?" Tyra asked Landry.

"Perfect," he replied, his voice little more than a whisper.

"Right. So I need alcohol and I'm sure Billy has probably fed Jake half the cookies already, so I would like someone to go in there and referee." She paused, then looked from Tim to Landry and back to Tim. "Actually, do you know what I'd like for Christmas? More than anything?" Her voice was quiet.

When no one replied, she continued, "I want Jake to be happy. Tim is here, and that makes him happy. And Landry being back makes him happy. We can figure this out, right? The three of us?"

Landry watched Tim carefully, but there was just his trademark blank expression. In his gut, he figured Tim would do whatever Tyra wanted. And Landry sure as hell wasn't going to fight with her about Tim being back in her life. They been down that road before, and in his heart, Landry was really glad Jake finally knew who his father was.

"Do we still have that case of Cabernet?" Landry asked, painting a smile on his face.

"You've only been gone a couple of days," Tyra exclaimed. "You think I drank it all?"

Landry stepped ahead of Tyra as they exited the living room and walked toward the kitchen. As he opened the door, he realized Tim and Tyra had fallen behind and were still talking in the hallway. About his return no doubt, or how their plans had to change because he was back.

Well Landry was done caring about it. He would be the perfect host, this was partly his house after all, and after the holidays, when Tim and Billy went back to Dillon, things would get back to normal. Right now, that's all Landry wanted for Christmas.

* * *

  
Smash rolled over, trying to place the horrible sound that was jerking him out of his dream. He had been back in high school, making the final touchdown at State and when he looked up, his mom was smiling at him with that amazing big smile. He looked over at the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Brian?"

He rubbed his hand across his eyes and sat up. "Mornin' Mama. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, baby. You get to church last night?" she asked.

"Absolutely, ma'am," he replied. He looked over at Kevin's back. It had definitely been a Christmas to remember.

"And you have some people to spend the day with? Someone making you dinner?"

Smash smiled. If only she knew—which she probably would in a week or so. But Christmas dinner was going to be full of family.

_"So, we did Christmas Eve your way," Kevin said as they walked out of the church. "Does that mean that I get to make the plans for Christmas Day?"_

_"You got somethin' planned?" Smash asked._

_Kevin stopped and faced Smash. "Well, actually, yes...I mean, if you want to..."_

_"Wow, you've been a cool cat so far, what's got you so nervous?" Smash asked._

_Kevin smiled at him. "Well, actually it's dinner tomorrow—in Philadelphia—with my grandma."_

_Smash shook his head. "Seriously?"_

_Kevin took Smash's hand in his own. "Yeah, seriously. Brian Williams...will you join me for Christmas dinner?"_

_Smash leaned in and gave Kevin a quick kiss. "Yeah—let's do that."_

"Well, as long as you're not alone on Christmas," his mother was saying. "It's not the same without you here, Brian."

"You got your gift there, Mama?" he asked.

"Sure do, Brian. I'm savin' it for after dinner," his mother answered.

"Open it now, Mama," he requested.

He could hear the paper tearing. She must have had the gift right by the phone.

"Oh, Brian!" she exclaimed.

"And you can come?" he asked. "And the girls, too?" Even though he played football for a living now, it was always better when his mom was in the stands watching.

"Absolutely, Brian," she replied.

"Good," he answered. "I can't wait to see you."

Smash hung the phone up and slid back under the blankets next to Kevin. Yeah, he had a lot to tell her—and show her about his new life in New York.

* * *

  
"You do remember that I don't actually like surprises, don't you?"

Jason looked over at Lyla with her blindfold on and smiled. "But you do remember that I love giving gifts, don't you?"

Lyla sighed and rested her hand on the car door, her fingers on the window. "I do remember that and I love you, which is why I indulge you. But I hope we're almost there because frankly, this blindfold is making me a little carsick."

Jason pulled the car into the driveway and put it into park. "Then it's your lucky day—we're here."

He pulled his chair from the backseat and popped the wheels back on as Lyla stepped out of the car, her hand on the door to keep her balance.

"Can I take this off?" she asked, her fingers on the edge of the cloth covering her eyes.

Jason wheeled up next to her and held out his hand. "Just come a little bit further with me."

They moved awkwardly around the edge of the car, Lyla trailing one hand on the edge of their car, her other hand in his as he tried to push his chair straight with one hand.

"Okay," Jason said as they stopped. "You can take it off."

Lyla lifted the blindfold from her eyes. "Our house?" she asked.

Jason looked up at the house they had been building for the past three months. He looked over at Lyla and smiled. He reached down next to his leg and pulled out a small box and handed it to her.

Lyla slid the bow off the box and lifted the lid. "A key?"

"To the house," Jason said as he watched her lift it from the box.

"But it's still going to be two more months," Lyla replied.

Jason smiled and shook his head. "Nope."

"Jason Street...did you..." Lyla began.

Jason shrugged. "I talked to some people. Tim gave me some names."

Lyla leaned down and kissed Jason. "God, I love you!"

"Then unlock the door and let's take a look!" Jason replied.

Jason followed Lyla up to the door, the sidewalk gently sloping from the driveway to the door without a step. Lyla slid the key in the door and opened it. She walked in a couple of steps, then waited as Jason followed her into the house.

"Oh, wow," she said, looking at the vaulted ceiling, the glistening hardwood floors. The sound of her footsteps and his wheelchair echoed through the empty rooms as they moved from the dining room to the great room to the kitchen.

"It's so much better than the plans," Lyla said as she slid her hands across the granite countertop. She paused and looked around the kitchen.

"Do you like it?" Jason asked cautiously. It had been a risk to go ahead and finish the house without her, but it also seemed to really be stressing her out.

Lyla stood in front of the dishwasher. "Why is it up like this?" she asked.

Jason moved over and opened the dishwasher that was about a foot above the kitchen floor. "So I can load it easily," he said, demonstrating how he could reach into the dishwasher.

"Now, I definitely like that!" she replied.

"Shall we move on to the bedroom?" Jason asked with a twinkle in his eye. He held his arm out to usher Lyla down the hall to the master suite.

Lyla pulled open the double doors to the bedroom and stopped. "Oh, Jason," she exclaimed. She waited for a moment then walked over to the large bed perfectly positioned against the wall. "It's just..."

Jason wheeled up next to her and took her hand. She turned to him, tears in her eyes. She smiled, then carefully sat down on his lap.

"It's perfect," she said as she looked out the French doors to the patio behind the house. "I love all of it."

"Merry Christmas, Lyla," Jason said as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Merry Christmas," she replied.

_/fin/_   


* * *

**Disclaimer** : All characters who appear in these stories belong to their respective creators, including Imagine Entertainment, NBC Universal Television Studio and Film 44.  
 **Authors' Note** : Thanks to our beta, [](http://devilc.livejournal.com/profile)[**devilc**](http://devilc.livejournal.com/) ; coming tomorrow, a sneak peak at the next installment in the _Reunion_ saga.


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